Contact Beaver County Attorney Matvey at 866-306-5990 to discuss your case.
Should you, your child, or any other family member sustain an injury from a dog bite, call my office to discuss what an attorney can do for you. There can be multiple issues to deal with when you sustain a dog bite injury; rehabilitation, scar revision, medical insurance issues, and legal issues over who is at fault for the dog bite injury. Contact me today for a free consultation regarding your case.
3399 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa, Beaver County, PA 15001
Phone 724.987.4896
Toll Free 866.306.5990
Evenings & Weekends 724.987.4566
Map & Directions | E-mail Us
Serving clients injured by dog attacks in Beaver, Allegheny, Washington, Butler and Lawrence Counties and other areas of Western PA
Injuries from Dog Bites
The physical scar is not the only harm sustained when someone suffers a dog bite. Often emotional scars result from dog bites; self consciousness over the physical scar and often a long lasting fear of dogs. When a person is left with a scar on a prominent part of their body from a dog bite, their face for example, the trauma and the self consciousness can be substantially greater. Children and adolescents injured by a dog bite may feel even more self conscious because of the insecurity often in existence through adolescent years. Beaver County attorney Tom Matvey can help you with your dog bite case.
Attorneys and dog bite cases
Physicians can help with the emotional and physical injuries sustained from a dog bite, but what can an injury attorney do? We can assist an injured party with a claim for money damages for the injuries suffered in a dog attack. We can take the case and prove for you and for the insurance company involved that the dog attack should have been prevented. To prove that a dog bite could have been avoided, we first have to show that there was a propensity on the part of the dog to bite or cause injury. In cases involving a dog who has previously caused an injury, this alone may prove the dog's dangerous nature. Accident attorneys can use other pieces of evidence to prove that a dog is dangerous, but the best evidence an attorney can have to prove that a dog is dangerous is through prior dog bites. In Pennsylvania there are leash laws that require a dog to be on a leash when the dog is in public. This law is there to protect the public from the risk of a dog bite. Failure to keep a dog on a leash can help an accident attorney prove your dog bite case.
Evaluating dog attack claims
Where an attorney can prove that a dog is dangerous and that there was a propensity to bite, we can then pursue money damages for the dog bite claim. The amount that we can recover for a dog attack depends on how badly the client is injured by the dog. Where facial scarring results from a dog bite, for example, the case is worth significantly more than if there is a minor mark left on an ankle. How much medical treatment was necessary is also a factor. Should surgery be necessary to repair the injuries or to correct the scars, an accident attorney is likely to be able to collect more damages for you. Where catastrophic injuries are sustained from a dog bite or attack the amount that we can obtain through settlement or verdict may be limited only by the amount of insurance available that the dog owner has.
Filing suit in a dog bite claim
If it is necessary to file a lawsuit in a dog bite case, an accident attorney can prepare the papers necessary for you to sue the owner of the dog that caused the injury and can guide the lawsuit through the court system for you. There will be numerous court filings necessary for the lawsuit and the professional assistance of an accident attorney for a dog bite lawsuit is well worth the cost. Should it be necessary to sue for damages in a dog bite claim, we will have to go through several procedural steps in regards to the lawsuit. Sets of questions regarding the dog bite incident and injuries will have to be answered. Depositions will be taken regarding the dog bite injuries and related losses sustained. Pretrial conferences may be held to discuss the dog attack incident with a judge. It may be necessary to present your dog bite claim to a jury. Attorney Matvey is familiar with with the procedural rules in Beaver, Allegheny, and other Western PA counties and can guide you through the legal system.
Victims of dog attacks are confronted with many issues. Their injuries from dog bites are painful and may leave scars. The stress of the dog attack may leave a person with significant emotional issues, and the legal issues that arise often are complex and frustrating for people. It is worth the effort to contact an accident and injury attorney for assistance with the pursuit of a claim based on a dog bite.
It is not only dogs that cause injuries, however. Cat bites can easily become infected and we advise clients to go to the hospital immediately for treatment following a feline bite. In addition, there are cases of cows, horses or other farm animals wandering into the road and causing a car accident. Here in Beaver County and Western Pennsylvania there is a notable risk of this type of accident because of the amount of farming done in Beaver County and in the counties surrounding Allegheny County.
At the Beaver County, Western PA law offices of Palmieri & Matvey, our legal team understands that injuries caused by dogs or other animals can go more than skin deep. Disfiguring scars may be permanent and the psychological scars a victim sustains from a dog bite can be significant. We understand the pain endured after a dog bite and we are committed to obtaining full and fair financial compensation for your pain and suffering from a dog bite or other animal attack.
3399 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa, Beaver County, PA 15001
Phone 724.987.4896
Toll Free 866.306.5990
Evenings & Weekends 724.987.4566
Map & Directions | E-mail Us
Recent Court Decision on Landlord Liability for a Dog Bite Injury:
In Monroe County, PA, a Common Pleas Judge recently considered the liability of a landlord for a dog bite injury caused by a tenant's dog. The court held that the landlord could not be held liable for the dog bite injury because the landlord was not on notice of the dangerous nature of the dog involved. The case against the landlord for the dog bite was dismissed.
Wright v. Decker, Court of Common Pleas, Monroe County, November 17, 2008.
Recent Verdict and Settlement for Vicious Dog Attack
A real estate agent in Fenlon v. James settled his claim against a home owner for $300,000.00 for injuries sustained in a dog attack. The plaintiff argued prior incidents of Dog Law violations and that the dogs involved had demonstrated aggressive natures. The injured party suffered a fractured wrist and significant lost earnings due to the injury. The case went to trial and the jury awarded $341,418.49 but the amount received by the plaintiff was reduced pursuant to an pretrial agreement between the parties.
Recent News on Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
An Experienced and Professional Beaver County Lawyer
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Serious injuries or wrongful death may occur from automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, boating accidents, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, pedestrian knock down accidents, or other incidents causing injury. Often, these "accidents" could have been avoided if reasonable preventative measures had been taken. At Palmieri & Matvey, we are a full-service personal injury law firm based in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. We represent victims and their families who are fighting for justice and fair compensation for their injuries. For a free consultation, Contact us today. We can discuss what your case could be worth, what the insurance company involved owes you, and whether you do in fact need an attorney to represent you.
Articles I've Authored on Legal Issues:
- Do You Have a Case?
- Do You Need A Lawyer for Your Accident Case?
- What Does the Insurance Company Owe you When You Are Injured?
- The Legal System and Your Injury Case
- Pennsylvania Statutes of Limitations - How Long do You Have to Sue?
- What is Your Accident Case Worth?
- The Impact of Divorce on Accident Claims
- Causes of Automobile Accidents and How the Facts Affect Your Claim
- What Should You Do if You Are Involved in a Car Accident?
- Motor Vehicle Law - Rear-End Crashes and The Assured Clear Distance
- Motor Vehicle Law - The Intersection Accident
- Motor Vehicle Law - Cross-Over Accidents and Head-On Collisions
- Liability of a Driver for Waving Another Driver Through Traffic
- Car Insurance Issues - Basic Considerations for Automobile Insurance
- Car Insurance Issues - Underinsured Motorists Coverage in Your Car Insurance
- Car Insurance Issues - Uninsured Motorists Coverage in Your Car Insurance
- Car Insurance Issues - Medical Benefits and Lost Wages
- Car Insurance Issues - What is Limited Tort and Why Should You Care?
- Car Insurance Issues - The Economics of Limited Tort
- Dog Bites and Animal Attacks in Pennsylvania - a Lawyer's Perspective
- Gun Accidents and Firearm Injuries
Dog Rescue Groups
Pennsylvania Great Dane Rescue, Inc.
